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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8
4.8
2703 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood
513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 61 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Great for happy hour
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Lively
Public Fish and Oyster serves only the freshest and responsibly sourced seafood. We believe in the complete dining experience and our knowledgeable staff is eager to provide you with the best dining experience Charlottesville has to offer.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Dylan Allwood
  • Neighborhood
    Charlottesville
  • Cross street
    6th St. NW
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in our shared lot adjacent to the restaurant. In addition there is ample street parking and a free city lot a block away in the Ambemarle Hotel lot.
  • Public transit
    Bus line and trolly service right outside our door.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • 2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th

    $25.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 16, 2025 - May 18, 2025
    For the weekend of UVA Graduation, Public Fish and Oyster will be offering a three course, prix-fixe menu for $85 per person. To reserve a $25 deposit per person is required which will be applied towards your bill the day of your reservation.
    2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th Photo

What 2,703 people are saying

Public Fish & Oyster reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    Hot spot

  • Charlottesville

    Neighborhood gem

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Public Fish & Oyster is a seafood lover's paradise in Charlottesville, known for its "fantastic oysters" and "outstanding service." The ambiance is lively, with a "buzzy" atmosphere that's perfect for gatherings. Guests rave about the "incredibly prepared food," including exquisite Maine oysters and lobster rolls. A must-visit for fresh, delicious seafood!

2,703 Reviews
  1. Beth

    Richmond6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Had an awesome server- sorry I don’t remember her name😞 She explained the specials to us and was extremely knowledgeable about the food. We sat outside- loved that! The oysters rockefeller were delicious as well as ribeye, linguini, monkfish and PoBoy. Excellent in every category

    Is this helpful?

  2. Colleen VIP

    San Francisco21 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Public is a "must go" place for us when visiting Charlottesville. The food is amazing, super wine list and the vibe is great! We will be back again and again!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Wendolyn

    Atlanta4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Public Fish & Oyster is always a nice restaurant. The service and food are always top-notch.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Cheryl VIP

    Cincinnati11 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Alexis was our Server, she was attentive but not pushy. We each had one of the Chef’s specials. Plenty of food and the entree size was perfect. Of course, we had oysters and shrimp cocktail. Wonderful dinner!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Henry

    Chicago8 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Crab legs and crabcakes were terrific; service was pleasant but irregular; lots of requests got forgotten. Prices are outrageous

    Is this helpful?

  6. Mark VIP

    New York City99 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great seafood and raw bar. Friendly service. Outdoor dining is quieter than interior. Always consistently excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Wyatt

    Washington DC2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome restaurant, great food, great service. Alex and John are awesome but so is everyone there. Top place

    Is this helpful?

  8. Robert

    Atlanta4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Oysters and Specialty Gin drinks were outstanding. The Crab cake was bland. The flounder special was overcooked and was lacking flavor

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  9. Jennifer VIP

    San Francisco5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was exceptional as always. The service is always outstanding.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Cheryl VIP

    San Francisco9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lobster bisque was creamy with chunks of lobster and plenty of upscale flavor. Also loved the fried oysters. They were little crunchy puffs of air with a soft salty center. Thank you for my oyster shooters, it was a fun evening with great atmosphere.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.8 stars by 2703 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Virginia
  4. Charlottesville
  5. Charlottesville

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 61 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Public Fish & Oyster

513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    6th St. NW
  • Neighborhood
    Charlottesville
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in our shared lot adjacent to the restaurant. In addition there is ample street parking and a free city lot a block away in the Ambemarle Hotel lot.
  • Public transit
    Bus line and trolly service right outside our door.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Dylan Allwood
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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